I joined the McGuire Programme at the age of 22, shortly after completing my undergraduate degree. I have stuttered for as long as I can remember and, although it had bothered me and affected my speech to a great degree, I had generally avoided confronting it at all costs. I avoided words, sounds and situations; when faced with challenging speaking situations, my speech was plagued with ‘ums’ and ‘errs’ as I could not say what I wanted to say.
In spite of this, in many situations, I was able to hide my stutter and this made taking the plunge into the McGuire Programme so much harder; however, like many others, I have absolutely no regrets in confronting my stammer and joining the Programme. Altogether, I have been a more confident, assertive and composed person since joining in October 2015.
I am on the path to becoming a solicitor and, before October 2015, the greatest challenge I perceived in this career path was the speaking situations it would engender. Having taken control of my speech, I no longer feel that my stutter can dictate any part of my life – whether social, professional or otherwise.
I wholeheartedly encourage anyone who has felt held back by their stutter to join the McGuire Programme!”
